Till Death Do Us Part
by mischeif managed
Summary: Working title. Marauderfic plus Lily and 4 OC. Not as cliched as it sounds! Includes romance, awesome pranks, and all that jazz. R&R, critisism welcome but no flames.
1. Till Death

The wind blew eerily through the bare trees. Leaves crunched underfoot as the man opened the gate. His black cloak blew in the breeze. He walked up to the house. Pointing his wand at the door, he whispered the spell. The lock clicked open. A small smile flirted across his pallid face, and he opened the door.

"James?" Lily's voice was forcedly calm. Her husband rolled over with a grunt.

"Whassit?" He groaned sleepily.

"James. The front door…" Lily's voice trailed off. James heard it too. Footsteps, in the kitchen. _No!_ James thought, panicked. _He can't be here. Peter…Peter wouldn't._ But James knew it was true. Remus was innocent. Peter had betrayed them. And now Voldemort was in his kitchen. He was going to kill Harry. _NO!_ James jumped out of bed. "Lily. Go. Take Harry." His wife glared at him.

"I'm not leaving you."

"Lily. He'll kill Harry. Go."

Lily looked defiantly from her husband to the door. Dumbledore's words echoed in her head. _Either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives. _She knew what she had to do. For Harry, and for the Order, and for everything they'd been fighting for.

She met her husband's eyes. "Till death do us part." She whispered. Tears threatened to fall, but she blinked them back. Then, with a backwards glance at the man she had fallen in love with so many years ago, she ran into her son's room.

James watched her leave. He took a deep breath, and then ran downstairs. He did not want to die. He had so much to live for. Lily, Harry, Remus, Sirius, the Order. And Peter had taken all this away from him. With a cry of anger, James ran into the kitchen. Voldemort turned to face him, a cold sneer adorning his once handsome features.

"James Potter." The voice was like ice. James suppressed a shudder.

"Voldemort." James pulled out his wand.

Voldemort laughed. "Do you think you can fight me Potter?" He, too, drew his wand. "You think you can save your wife? Your son?" James found that he couldn't move. "You will die here James Potter. And for naught. Your wife is upstairs with the boy, and there she will stay. She cannot apparate from here, all floo networks are cut off. The prophesy will be fulfilled tonight. Goodbye, James Potter." And with that, a green light filled the room. James never even got the chance to scream. He had been the first marauder to die. The war had finally taken it's deadly toll on the four brothers. Prongs was dead.

Upstairs, Lily had realized that there was no way to escape. She had been frantically searching for a way to save her son when the green light filled the house. He was dead. Lily knew this. She did not try to deny it. She had know it would happen. They all would. Her husband was dead, and she would die with him, and so would Harry, and Voldemort would win the war. They had failed the Order.

Voldemort appeared in the doorway, interrupting Lily's thoughts. "Give me the boy." He commanded. Lily glared at him with a loathing that she had never felt before.

"No."

"Give him to me, or die like your husband."

Lily had not intended to beg this man. She swore she would die fighting, like James. But suddenly she realized that it was real. This wasn't a game. It wasn't about pride. He was going to kill her son, like he'd killed James.

"No. Please. Spare Harry!" She found herself in tears, pleading with this murderer to spare her son. "Kill me! Spare Harry!"

"Stand aside, foolish girl!"

"No! Please!" There was a flash of green light, and Lily Evans joined her husband. The fifth marauder had died.

Harry was oblivious to this all as Voldemort turned his wand to him. "Avada Kedarva!" He yelled. For the third time, a green flash split the October night, and this time, Voldemort was gone. Harry Potter became the Boy who Lived. And Lily and James had died to see it happen.

Sirius stood before the ruins of the house at Godric's Hollow. A small boy was cradled in his arms, and he wept. James and Lily lay dead before him. He had been the first to arrive. He had dragged their dead bodies from the rubble and rescued their son. They were gone. It hit him suddenly. Lily, red hair and temper, so kind and caring. And James. Prongs. Prongs…He fell to his knees. This was his fault. He had switched with Wormtail. The rat! He would kill him. He stood up.

"Sirius? Tha' you?" A voice called out. "Blimey. Wha' happened?" the giant Hagrid took in the scene before him. "Where's 'arry?"

"Here." Sirius handed over the boy. "Take my bike. I won't be needing it." Sirius knew what he had to do. He had to kill Peter.

Hagrid watched him go with a sad shake of his head. Sirius was strong, but he had lived for James Potter. What would he be without him? Hagrid was the only one who would feel pity for Sirius Black for the next twelve years, and that pity would soon turn to hatred as he learned that Black had supposedly sold his best friend to the Dark Lord.

Sirius didn't care about any of this. He was intent on one thing…revenge. He guessed that Wormtail would want to get as far away from London as possible, so he headed to Kings Cross. He got there without having given himself time to think about what he was going to do. His mind was back at Hogwarts with James and Lupin, outside on the lake where they used to relax years ago.

They had taken Peter in. He had always been the outcast, the little ratty boy who no one liked. Than he had gotten on their boat in September 1st, ten years ago, and had made his first friends. A werewolf, a family misfit, and a blood traitor. They had taken him in, treated him like a brother, saved him from detention, they had always trusted him, and this was how he repaid them? Sirius clenched his fists. He would kill that rat.

And then he saw him. Slouched in a corner with his trunk at his foot, ticket in hand, looking nervously over his shoulder. Rage coursed through Sirius's body. "Petterigrew!" He yelled. The man turned to look at him, his eyes wide with fear. Not caring about the muggles that were watching him in shock, Siruis drew his wand.

Wormtail smiled. Sirius Black had always bested him in everything. He had always gotten the better grades, the better girls, James and Remus had liked him more. Peter had just been their shadow. Everyone knew the Marauders, but no one knew him. That was about to change. They would worship him as a hero, tell stories about how he had so bravely challenged Sirius against all odds. And Siruis would pay for his arrogance and his jokes all those years.

"Lily and James, Sirius, how could you?" He asked, his voice laden with fake sorrow.

"Coward!" Sirius raised his wand, but Peter was quicker. With a flick, the street blew apart. He pulled out a silver knife, and, taking a deep breath, cut his finger from his hand. He than transformed and slipped in the sewers to live his life as Scabbers, the pitiful pet rat. Peter Petterigrew was a hero. Peter Petterigrew was dead.

Siruis saw this. He knew what Wormtail had done. He knew the Ministry would come for him now. And suddenly, it was too much for him to bear. The irony of the whole situation! He laughed. A wild, maniac laugh that chilled the hearts of those who heard it.

And the Ministry did come, and they arrested Sirius, and they gave Wormtail the Order of Merlin, first class, and all was well in the wizarding world, because Lord Voldemort was dead. No one cared about the Marauders. Their sacrifice had gone unnoticed.

Remus pondered this with a wry smile. You thought you knew someone, you thought you knew what they were like, and than they went and did something like this. Peter had always been the coward. But tonight, he had stood up to Black, and died a hero. And Black. He had loved James like a brother. He had sworn to kill Voldemort. And he had gone and joined him and sold out his best friend. Life was strange. He sighed, not allowing the tears to spill. The Marauders had died tonight. He was the last one. And no one would ever remember his name. He was the last Marauder. The sole survivor. Sirius Black was still alive, but the Padfoot Remus had know had died with Prongs and Wormtail. And now Moony was alone again. Yes, life was strange. They had all blamed him. The werewolf. People would have remembered him then. But no. He was innocent, and so he was forgotten. He lived, and so he was forgotten. The Marauders were truly dead.


	2. And so it begins

My eternal thanks to my first reviewer, Lora-Lai. I realize that I forgot a disclaimer in the first chapter, so here it is.

**I do not own MWPP, although I wish I did. They belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling.**

Formalities aside, here's the second chapter. MWPP meet here. This is it, have fun. Please review, criticism welcome, no flames, you know the drill.

A small, scrawny boy of eleven strode through the compartments of the train. Small, scrawny eleven year olds did not usually stride through the Hogwarts Express, but James Potter was the exception. Sure, the older kids either ignored him or pushed him out of the way, but it was only a matter of time till he gained their respect. A jovial smirk adorned his face, and his messy hair stuck up at all angles. All in all, he looked quite arrogant and rather stupid, but in his mind, he was on top of the world.

"Hey, watch where you're going." Potter had run into another boy, a bit taller and broader, with black hair that hung loosely in his face. He, too, looked over-confident, an unbefitting trait for first years at Hogwarts.

"Sorry mate." James grinned.

The other boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"You a first year too?"

Grunt.

"Hey, mate, this seat free?"

The last line was directed to a small, brown-haired kid with a slightly nervous look about him. He looked tired. He lay stretched across the seat, arms folded behind his head. His trunk was beside him, looking worn out and second hand. James read the label:

R. J. Lupin. Lupin looked vaguely surprised at being addressed, but he nodded and swung his feet down to make room for them, resting them instead on his trunk.

James sat down beside him. "James Potter." He stuck out his hand, an amiable grin on his face. Lupin returned the smile. "Remus Lupin." They shook.

The other boy had followed James into the compartment and was stretched out in the seat across from them, monopolizing as much space as was humanly possible for an eleven year old. They looked inquiringly at him.

"Sirius Black." He grunted.

"Black…" Remus mused this for a moment. "I've heard about your family…there supposed to be very much into the dark arts." Remus, far from looking scared at addressing a member for the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, looked genuinely interested.

The boy rolled his eyes again. "Yeah. And I hate the lot of them." Sirius seemed to cheer up slightly after this statement. "What house d'you wanna be in?" He asked the boys across from him.

"Gryffindor!" James's eyes were wide with anticipation. His childish eagerness was met with a smirk from Sirius and a smile from Remus.

"I'd like Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw doesn't sound so bad." Remus interjected. Frankly, he would be happy with any house, just so long as he got to stay at Hogwarts. The fact that Dumbledore had even considered asking a werewolf amazed Remus. His respect for the headmaster at this point bordered on worship.

"I'd like Gryffindor myself." Sirius stated. Remus and James stared at him. They'd both heard of the Black family, and knew that all of them had been in Slytherin. Sirius saw there looks of surprise and laughed. "That would really piss my folks off." He said this as if it enraging his family was his ultimate goal in life, which, coincidentally, it was.

Just then, a short boy that reminded James of a rat walked in. "H-hello." He glanced nervously at them. "This seat free?"

Sirius grudgingly moved over to make room for him. He introduced himself as Peter Petterigrew and made a frantic grab to catch the rat that had bolted out of his pocket.

Sirius surveyed the group, amused. He decided that he liked them. They were a decent lot, even if Potter did grin a lot, and Lupin looked like he could really do with a few good meals, and rat-boy stuttered something awful.

He had no idea that these were the boys he would grow to view as brothers in the years to follow.


	3. In which Sirius is lovestruck

**Again. I do not own these characters. They are J.K. Rowling's. Worship her, not me. Well, okay, you can worship me too, if you want.**

I know the chapters are short, but, oh well, live with it. I'll update a lot to make up for it.

Next chapter: The Sorting…introducing Lily and the twins. Be afraid. Be _very_ afraid.

The train was just starting to leave Platform 9 ¾. Sirius was now busy discussing the latest edition to the chocolate frog cards when a girl rocked by their compartment. Sirius saw her and jumped up. He ran to the door, beaming stupidly. "Chant! Hey, Chant!"

The girl turned. Upon seeing him, she returned his smile. "Hey Black…you look happy."

"Well…now that _you're_ here…"

Chant rolled her eyes at Sirius's pathetic attempt at sounding charming.

"Hey…our compartment has room!" Sirius observed much too eagerly. "Come sit with us?"

"Why not." Chant joined the four boys in their compartment.

"Guys, this is Jacqueline Caitlin Chant." He introduced with a smirk.

The girl glared at him. "Yeah…any anyone who calls me that dies." She turned to the boys. "Jacey. Or, preferably, just Chant." "Right." Remus laughed. "Remus Lupin." He held out his hand.

Chant regarded it with amusement and then shook. "How do you do?"

Aware that he was being mocked, Remus chortled with the rest of them.

"James Potter." James inclined his head. She nodded her acknowledgement.

"P-Peter Petterigrew." Chant had the tact not to smirk when Peter blushed as she sat down next to him. Sirius, looking slightly disappointed that she hadn't chosen to sit next to him, took his place across from the werewolf.

"So, how do you two know each other, exactly?" James jeered good-naturedly. "You certainly seem friendly."

Chant rolled her eyes. "Family friends. Our families are both Ancient and Most Noble Houses, or something like that. Pure-blood rubbish. Chant's aren't nearly so bad as Blacks though. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw mostly, some Slytherins. No Hufflepuffs though. "

"Hey, Chant!" Sirius had gone from surly to affable once he had established his undying hatred for his family, but once he saw Chant, he went from affable to downright lively. "Tell them about that once Christmas dinner, remember?"

Chant's lips curled up reminiscently. "Well…it was a couple of years ago, see, Black and I here, we must have been about nine, and our families had gotten together for Christmas dinner. And us kids, well, Black and the Chant kids—most other Black children are too proud and self-righteous ever to cause any trouble—we were kind of bored. So, we went out in the garden, and, after a while, we figure that, party's so dull, why don't we liven it up a bit?" She and Sirius shared nostalgic smiles at this, and the others looked on with interest.

"So…you gotta remember we're nine back then. Little idiots, so, of course, nothing we do is going to be too clever, but, we take six or seven garden gnomes, and we teach them the lyrics to that Disappearing Drums hit—you remember—Hex Me if You Dare? And then we had them run through the dining room, covered in mud and leaves and all, bawling out the song at the to of their lungs." The boys were laughing appreciatively. Chant smiled, pleased at the effect her story had had. "Simple," She concluded, "but efficient."

"Man, I can't _wait_ till we get to Hogwarts!" James gasped. "The castle won't know what hit them!"

They spent the rest of the ride eagerly planning a years worth of pranks.


	4. The Gryffindor Ten

**Disclaimer: I still do not own the marauders. I do, however, own the twins, Chant, and Dena Marshall. So there. **

Once again, my thanks to my _awesome_ reviewers, Lora-lai and Nuria VanWelick. You guys rock.

The train finally arrived at Hogwarts. The five filed out and were greeted by an insanely large man, who was waving his arms and yelling, "Firs' years. Firs' years with me! Move along there. Firs' years to me."

The giant of a man led them to the lake. "No more'n four to a boat. Careful now. You there!" He pointed to Peter. "Don' lean over like tha', yer gonna tip it over." The four boys got on a boat together, and Chant found herself with a red-headed girl and two black-haired twins.

The red-head smiled shyly at her companions as the boat set off. "Hi. I'm Lily Evnas."

"Jacey Chant." She returned the smile.

"Janus and Athena Madder." The twin on the right, Janus , spoke for both of them.

"Only, call us that, and we hex you." Athena this time. Lily looked deeply offended and rather scared at this statement. Athena saw this and grinned. "Nothing personal, just principle. Call me Aim. Cause of Athena Indigo Madder."

Her twin grimaced. "See why we choose nicknames? Indigo? Honestly. And I'm Jay."

"You think that's bad?" Chant challenged. "Try having a name like Jacqueline Caitlin."

"Hey." Aim rolled her eyes. "_You_ weren't named after a Roman goddess and an obscure color."

Chant grinned, liking the twins immediately. Then she caught Remus's eye from the other boat. They had noticed the same thing: James had been staring at Lily for the past five minutes. They smirked and looked away. The twins raised their eyebrows, looking amused, and Lily was oblivious.

Finally, they came to the castle and got off the boats. The giant led them up to the castle and knocked three times on the door.

Peter surveyed his fellow students. Some tried to look cool and confident, but most looked just as nauseas as he felt. He could hardly believe that he was at Hogwarts. His parents had been sure that he was a squib, and here he was…he'd probably be in Hufflepuff. That wouldn't be bad. Although he would have liked to stick with his new friends, who were sure to be in Gryffindor. Still, he supposed that any house would do.

A strict-looking woman, whose black hair was set in a tight bun, stood before them. She surveyed them silently. "Firs' years, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you Hagrid." The giant nodded. "First years, follow me." Her voice was firm and commanding. Chant and Sirius grimaced at each other, as did the twins. This obviously wasn't someone to cross.

"Hey Chant." James hissed. "Who're your friends?" Chant had a pretty good idea why James was asking, and, with only the slightest amused glance at Remus, she introduced them. "Janus Madder and her twin, Athena Indigo Madder, only don't call them that or they'll hex you, they go by Jay and Aim, and Lily Evans."

"Evans, hey?" Lily gave him a look of disgust.

"And you are?" She demanded.

James's hand strayed to his hair. He ran a hand through it and smiled. "James Potter."

Sirius had evidently caught on. He smirked at James and cleared his throat. "Nice, Potter." James glared at him. "I'm Sirius Black, by the way."

"Remus Lupin." He grinned at each of them. Jay noticed the way his smile seemed to linger longer on her twin, and frowned slightly.

"P-peter…" Peter's muttered, unused to addressing so many people—more then half of them girls. Lily smiled at him, and the twins inclined their heads amiably. McGonagall talked at them a bit, though none of them paid her much attention. They were all anxiously awaiting the Sorting. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she led them into the Great Hall. Lined up alphabetically, Sirius found himself next to his cousin Bellatrix, who he attempted to ignore. Chant was near them, and a bit further down was Lily. Lupin stood apprehensively near the middle, by the twins. James and Peter were close by. All the first years were shuffling nervously, looking around in wonder. Lily stared at the ceiling and felt her stomach do a back flip as he realized that it was a mirror image of the night sky. The twins kept glancing at each other and looking away, rather pale. Sirius was trying to picture his cousin's face when she found out he was in Gryffindor. The thought gave him a kind of horrific thrill. James kept glancing down the line at Lily. Chant was trying her best to appear calm, and doing better then the rest of the kids. Peter looked like he was about to faint. McGonagall placed a stool out in the middle of the floor. Seventy eyes turned to stare at it. On it she placed a hat. There was a moment of silence, then it burst into song.

When it finished, no one spoke for a moment. Then, in perfect unison, "Bloody hell…" That was the twins. McGonagall glared at them, but Jay could have sworn that the headmaster had smiled. Then the Sorting began.

"Abbott, Jacob." A short nervous boy scuttled out to the stool. The hat was placed on his head, and a second later, yelled "HUFFLEPUFF!" Then, "Ackerly, Tom" and "Austin, Lisa" were sorted into Ravenclaw. "Braddock, Jim" became a Hufflepuff, and then Sirius's cousin Bellatrix became, to no one's surprise, a Slytherin. It was Sirius's turn. Heart pounding, he headed to the stool. The hat was placed on his head. There was a moments silence.

"Hm…" said a voice in his head. "Another Black." The hat obviously sensed Sirius's disgust, and continued, "You do not seem eager to join your kin." Sirius's silent affirmation drove the hat to reply, "Then it would seem that the only house for one as bold as you would be…GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat was removed from his head by a slightly confused McGonagall, and Sirius glanced at the Slytherin table. Sure enough, Bellatrix had joined her sister Narcissa, and they were both glaring at him with disgust. He grinned, and caught Dumbledore's eye. Unexpectedly, the Headmaster winked. Sirius stared at him as he took his place at the Gryffindor table. He sought James in the line of first years and gave him a thumbs up. Meanwhile, "Brown, Alex" had been sorted into Ravenclaw.

Then, "Chant, Jacqueline." Chant grimaced and sauntered to the stool. The hat was no sooner on her head then it yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" Sirius cheered louder then anyone as she joined them. She sat down across from Sirius, her grey eyes alight with excitement. A few names later, the professor called, "Evans, Lily."

The hat pondered her for a few seconds. "Clever, no doubt about that. Brave, too. And loyal. Yes, I believe…GRYFFINDOR!" Sirius and Chant clapped along with everyone else as Lily sat down next to Chant. A few names separated Remus from Lily. "Gudgeon, Davey," became Gryffindor, and he awaited his turn anxiously. McGonagall had reached the L's. "Lestrange, Rastaban." she called, and a surly-looking boy walked up to the stool and was immediately sorted into Slytherin. It was his turn.

"Lupin, Remus." McGonagall called. He marched hesitantly to the stool and sat down. "The werewolf." The hat whispered not unkindly in his ear. "I've been expecting you." Remus fidgeted, feeling light-headed. "Clever, yes, and a certain respect for the rules. Bravery, but a strong desire to please your friends. Yes…well…GRYFFINDOR!" Sirius and Chant applauded loudly, and he joined them, beaming.

The twins were up next. Aim strode up when McGonagall called "Madder, Athena," and after a second in which the hat mused over her wit and daring, was sent to Gryffindor. Her twin followed soon after, and they joined Lily and Chant.

Then Marshall, Dena became the fourth Gryffindor in a row, and there was a string of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students before the next Slytherin, Parkinson, Henry.

Petterigrew, Peter, was called, and the hat paused for a moment. "Hm…a desire to fit in, that is evident. And a want for power. A surprising loyalty, too. Ah, well, better be GRYFFINDOR!" Peter stumbled over to join his friends in disbelief as Potter, James was called.

The had had barely touched his head when it bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!" and James became the final Gryffindor of the year. After another ten minutes, there was only Young, Helga, (HUFFLEPUFF) to be sorted. Dumbledore stood up.

"I shall not keep you from your feast any longer." He smiled, and there were cries of "Hear, Hear," many from the newest Gryffindors. "Without further ado," Dumbledore continued, eyes twinkling, "Bonappetite!"

"Finally!" Sirius groaned. Peter, never one for foreign languages, was still puzzling over Dumbledore's closing words when piles of food appeared before them. The first years' mouths dropped open. Chant laughed and started piling her plate. The ten new Gryffindors were all clumped together, and by the end of the meal, had all taken a liking to each other, with the exception of Lily, who viewed James and Sirius with contempt. Dena Marshall, a quiet girl with curly burnet hair, was seated across from Peter. She smiled shyly at him and he blushed. Chant was retelling the gnome story to Davey Gudgeon and the twins, while Remus and Sirius had recommenced their discussion of chocolate frog cards. James contributed his input every now and then, but kept glancing at Lily, who was pointedly ignoring him and talking instead to the second year on her right. _Ah well, _James thought,_ no rush…I have seven years, after all. _

Dumbledore's speech was short and to the point, reminding them that the Forbidden Forest was out of bounds (Sirius and James glanced at each other mischievously) and passing on some of Filch, the caretaker's, notes. Then, he dismissed then, and they headed off to the Gryffindor common room, tired, content, and stuffed.


	5. Just a note

Hey y'all,

Sorry I haven't updated in so long, been on vacation. I'll put up another chapter either tonight or tomorrow.

Also, just a minor correction to note: Athena is a Greek goddess, not Roman, so when Aim says she was named after a Roman goddess, that is wrong. Sorry to all you Athena worshipers out there!

As always, thanks to my wonderful reviewers.

Mischief Managed


	6. The First Prank

Okay, here it is. The long awaited update. (Dun Dun Dun…)

Disclaimer: (sigh) I, Mischief Managed, do not, have never, and never will own Harry Potter or anything to do with it. Jacey, the twins, and Dena are mine, and as a result, they are in fact the coolest characters to ever exist. (…) Well, maybe not, but they are pretty cool. So there.

As always, thanks to my wonderful reviewers, Lora-lai, The Demon Inside, and zephyrlight. Y'all rock. And yes, for those who asked, my vacation rocked, and for all you Brits out there: London is _expensive!_ And…hot? (yes, I was in London, and yes, it was the hottest place we visited, and we visited a_ lot_ of hot places. Haven't you chaps ever heard of _air conditioning!_) Still, cool accents, so I won't complain.

And without further ado, on with the fic!

**In which James and Remus discuss Tolkien, Jacey and the twins learn that Lily is _not_ a morning person, a discussion of pure-bloodedness takes place, the joys of quidditch are discovered, and the first prank is pulled. **

James had never been a morning person, but his first day at Hogwarts found him awake at six o'clock, a personal record. Remus was already up. James tilted his head to read the title of the book the other boy read. "The Fellowship of the Rings." He commented. "How can one person have so many initials in their name? Do his friends actually call him J.R.R? Or just J?"

Remus rolled his eyes at the other boy and chucked the book at him. "I didn't know you knew your alpha-bet."

"Yup!" James replied proudly. "At least I know I'm ahead of those three." He jerked his thumbs at the sleeping forms of Davey, Peter, and Sirius.

"That's not saying much."

Meanwhile, in the girls dorm, the twins and Jacey were up and dressed, and arguing about the best way to wake their sleeping roommates. Jay suggested just letting them sleep a bit more, than wake them in a rush, telling them they were late for class. Chant considered this for a moment. Not a bad idea, but she rather liked Aim's plan of dumping water on their head and then running for it. Crude, but efficient. Eventually, they settled for a compromise: They'd douse them with water, and instead of fleeing for their lives, claim that that was the only way to wake them, and class had started five minutes ago. They did this.

It turned out that Lily wasn't a morning person either. She bolted upright and glared furiously at the three miscreants, helpless with laugher at the sight. Dena had responded in a much meeker manner, simply smiling nervously.

Gasping for breath, Aim attempted to pacify Lily. "We had to! You're late for class!"

"Oh NO!" Dena and Lily moaned. They scrambled about to get ready, frantically shedding fuzzy pink pajamas for school robes.

"Should we tell them?" Jay asked once their laughter subsided.

"They'll probably kill us if we don't…at least Lily will." Jacey sounded regretful.

"Tell us what?" Lily had turned to them, glaring daggers, one foot clad in a sneaker, the other in a slipper shaped suspiciously like a bunny.

Jacey found the question directed to her. She wilted under Lily's look. "Oh…er…just kidding?" She pointed to the muggle-esque clock that adorned Lily's bedside table. It read, "6:09."

"But…classes don't start till…eight…" Understanding dawned on Lily's face, then rage.

"Er, Jace?" The twins glanced at Lily. "Would now be a good time to run?" They did so.

"What's the rush?" Unable to stop in time, Jacey ran straight into a disgruntled Sirius." A moment later, lily appeared and tripped over the two, into James. The twins had managed to avoid collision, and were now standing by Remus and an equally disgruntled Davey, watching as the four detangled themselves. Dena found herself by Peter, and smiled shyly. Jay filled in the curious boys on the mornings events, while Jacey ruefully rubbed the back of her head where it had collided with Sirius'. They chuckled.

"Well, you lot are more creative than us." James began. "Remus and I just threw pillows at them till they woke up. They were too disoriented to do much but grumble."

"And hex James." Remus added with a small smirk. "Nice leg lock, by the way, Davey."

"Thanks!" The other boy grinned. James sulked as the girls laughed.

"So, why---" Sirius began, then yawned widely. "Why exactly are we up at six o'clock again?"

"Good question." Lily replied, glaring at the Jacey and the twins. Remus saw the annoyed looks of his tired year mates and grinned nervously.

"The early bird gets the worm?" A moment later he ducked as Sirius and Davey tackled him. "Just kidding!" His voice was muffled. Aim helped him up, shaking her head.

"Boys, boys…" She was cut off by a sharp cuff on the head.

Lily smiled politely when she turned. "That was for waking us."

"That hurt!"

"What were you saying about boys?"

"Shut up Sirius."

"Touchy."

They were among the first ones in the Great Hall when they went down an hour later. Dumbledore smiled at them from the staff table, but a dark-haired man with a large, bat-like face stared unpleasantly at them. "I'll wager that's Jacob Avery." Jacey supplied. "Divinations. Dark wizard, my dad says."

"Naw, who would he follow?" James asked. "Haven't been dark wizards since Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald in 1945."

"Just because they haven't killed anyone doesn't mean they're not dark wizards."

"Not very good dark wizards if they haven't killed anyone."

"Just wait. My folks say that someone will come along, soon. They'll want to follow in Grindelwald's footsteps or something.

"With Dumbledore here, they wouldn't dare."

"Just wait. Someone'll come. There's already talk of this bloke, Riddle, I think it was, powerful little bugger. It's only a matter of time."

"I never heard of this Riddle, and my family's pureblood as any."

"The Chant's_ know _things, mate." Sirius interjected. "Got Chant's all over the world, hearing things. Powerful wizard family, they are." He seemed proud. "My folks say they'll come to no good, supporting Dumbledore like they do."

"Not all of us support him. Course, those who don't are outcasts, really. Just the opposite of the Blacks, really." Sirius grinned.

"That's why I like your folks so much. My family hates them."

The twins rolled their eyes. "Purebloods."

"What do you mean?" Remus asked. "Aren't you pureblood?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything. Madders aren't as…pure as the Blacks or the Chants, or the Malfoys for instance. We don't act as superior. We _like_ muggles."

"Chants don't act _superior_." Jacey shot back. "Just better informed, is all." The Great Hall was filling up, and she glared across the room at the Slytherin table. "Don't see many Chants over there. Some, mind, but most of us keep far away from muggle-haters like the Malfoys." She indicated to a boy with blonde hair and a condescending look.

"Never knew pure-bloods were so complex." Remus shook his head. "I'm half-blood, myself." Breakfast had appearad on the tables, and Sirius was busily devouring a plate of sausages.

He paused from his meal. "Lucky." He drained a goblet of pumpkin juice in one gulp. "I'd give anything not to be a pure-blood. Or at least not a Black. Smaller families like the Potters, and muggle-lovers like the Weasleys and the Madders, there okay. And the Chants are a good lot." He nodded charitably at the four other pure-bloods.

"What about you lot?" Jay asked Dena, Davey, Peter and Lily.

"Pure-blood." Peter replied instantly. "Just…my folks were….mumble mumble…"

"Er…mumble?"

"Squibs….didn't go to Hogwarts or anything. No idea how I got it…."

"Cheer up, mate. If you were really bad, you'd be in Hufflepuff." A passing Hufflepuff turned to Aim, who looked away hastily.

"What about you, Evans?" James asked, messing up his hair.

Lily looked at him coldly. "My family is muggle-born. Is that a problem?"

James looked taken aback. "No! Course not."

"Good."

"I'm muggle-born too." Dena put in. "Only, my uncle was a wizard. His kid didn't get in though. Guess I got the magic. Didn't go over well with my cousin." She looked around, embarrassed. For her, that was practically a speech.

"Half blood." Davey said proudly. "My dad's a surgeon, my mom's a healer. Healing without magic fascinates my mom."

"I'll bet. You know, those muggle doctors cut people up, and sew them back together later. Weird…" This was Sirius.

"Yes, but few muggles grow extra arms. There very different professions." Davey replied. "My mum wants me to be a healer." He made a face. "Me? I've always fancied playing Quidditch. Professionally, y'know?"

James looked up from his eggs eagerly. "What do you play? My dad says I'd make a fair good seeker, myself."

"Beater. My mom taught me. I'm pretty good. She says I'll make the team for sure."

"What's Quidditch?" Lily asked, curious in spite of herself. James sized the opportunity to talk to her, but she had addressed the question to the twins, and ignored him, so he contented himself with talking to Davey and Jacey about the different teams, while the others looked on.

"The Chudley Cannons have had a pretty good season," Davey began, "But there nothing compared to the Wasps. They've got Bagman…he's amazing!"

"Bagman's good, but he's nothing compared to Volkov, the Vulture's Beater. He's set to retire though. Getting too old. Hear he's got a son that he's training to take his place." Jacey put in.

"What d'you play?" James asked.

"Beater. When I was nine, my cousin told me that girls were too weak to play beaters. Next time we played, I talked him into letting me play beater…sent the bludger right into his stomach, knocked him off his broom. Broke a couple of ribs, as I recall. My uncle was pissed." She grinned at the memory. "My family's big on Quidditch. Reckon I gotta make the team, or my mom might disown me." She didn't sound worried at all, and James didn't blame her. By the sound of it, she'd make the team hands down.

"The Pride of Portree has two female beaters," Davey put in, "And they're quite good. And Puddlemere United has Kennedy, she's one of the best. Personal hero. Though your wrong about Bagman. He could beat Volkov any day." The discussion went on for the entire meal, and into the first class, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

It wasn't until the teacher, Professor Mendel, strode over to them and told them that he, too, agreed that the Falmouth Falcons had had a depressing season, and he'd be happy to discuss it with them in detention that they shut up.

The week went by fast. McGonagall proved to be as stern as she looked. They had heard quite a bit about her from older students, none of it welcoming, and she was every bit as strict and unforgiving as they said, giving them more homework than any other teacher. Thursday, they suffered through a potions class with Slughorn, who went out of his way to suck up to Jacey, knowing that her parents held a lot of influence in the ministry, and Care of Magical Creatures, where Professor Kettleburn spent much of the lesson staring at Remus in a mixture of fear and awe, much to the confusion of his friends. He shrugged it off later, but couldn't help but noticing the way Jacey looked at him, a curious, calculating look. _Does she know? _he thought desperately. Then he remembered that the full moon was in a week, and groaned, earning odd looks from his friends. _What if they find out? They'll hate me._ With that cheering thought, he went to bed and dreamt of monsters.

Friday was uneventful, and that night the ten first years celebrated the survival of their first week at Hogwarts by convincing the Fat Lady to change the password to the commons from "_dissendium_" to "_Quiberon Quafflepunchers"_ complements, of course, of James, Davey, and Jacey in honor of the French Quidditch team, causing a build-up of distressed students outside the commons and a very disgruntled prefect.


	7. Another note

Another quick note:

I have been horrible with updating, I know, and I give you my humble apologize. School just started, and I am loaded with homework, and most of my spare time is devoted either to reading or to writing my other story, and I do not have a lot of time to spare for this fic, but I will try to update once a week when I can. Please don't hate me for this, I promise I will continue, but updates may be slow. Once again thank you to my brilliant reviewers, you guys rock, and now I bid you adieu.

Mischief Managed


	8. All Hallows Eve

**Yes, I finally updated! Aren't you proud of me?**

**Disclaimer: If I have to admit that I don't own Harry Potter one more time…Okay, for those of you who haven't figured it out, Harry Potter and all it's characters belong to J. K. Rowling. I am not J.K. Rowling. Thus, they do not belong to me. If they did, I would living in a large house on the Aegean Sea right now. ,**

**As always, thanks to my wonderful reviewers, Lora-lai me26 (see? No more notes!) noone, The Demon Inside, FairiesandDragons911, and zephyrlight. You guys are pretty much the coolest people ever for showing me that people actually read this. **

**And, without further ado, on with the show!**

The aftermath of the password prank was encouraging. Although they each received a week of detention, with the exception of Lily and Dena, they had taken their first step on the road to ultimate havoc. This, of course, caused Sirius and James to strut around the school for the next week. In fact, it wasn't until an annoyed Lily shoved them into the lake that they stopped.

In this fashion the weeks turned into months, and before they knew it, Halloween was upon them.

"Hey, Lily, you're a muggle!" Sirius observed one October day.

"Really? Honestly Black, I hadn't noticed."

"What is it those muggle kids do on Halloween?"

"Trick-or-treat." Aim answered instantly. "Provides muggle children the opportunity to dress up in costumes and beg candy off their neighbors. The costumes were derived from the Celtic association with death; the holiday itself from the Celtic holiday of Samain, where humans could enter the spirit world and vice versa."

Sirius stared at her in awe. "That's scary, you know that?"

Jay rolled her eyes." I apologize….she does that sometimes. Just ignore her. Besides, some say that Halloween actually derives from an ancient wizarding ceremony—"

Aim cut her off. "That's rubbish and you know it."

Hastily, Sirius interrupted what may have turned into a cultural war between the two twins. "Right. So, about this trick or treat deal…what do you think about this for a prank?" He told them.

Chant thought about it for a moment. "Let's do it!"

Halloween arrived cold and windy. Since it was a Saturday, the friends spent their day by the lake, despite the cold. In the evening, they went up to the Commons and sat by the warmth of the fire and finalized the plans for their prank. Finally, the feast came, and they entered the Great Hall.

The sight that awaited them was magnificent. Candles floated in midair over the room, huge jack-o-lanterns straight from Hagrid's garden adorned the tables, the ceiling showed a dark night sky, split occasionally with bursts of lightning, and ghosts glided overheard, adding to the surreal effect. The first years gaped in awe at the splendid sight as they sat down. Soon after, the food came; platters of chicken and piles of bread and bowls of salad lined the table. The food before them outdid that of the feast on the first night. The room was filled with the sounds of laughter, pleasant chatter, and large amounts of food being consumed. James was just starting on his fifth helping of shepherd's pie when their plates disappeared and were followed shortly after by dessert. When they could eat no more, they sat back. James, Davey, and Jacey started up a conversation on the Ballycastle Bats, Dena and Lily were talking about their latest Transfigurations assignment, Remus and the twins discussed the Goblin Revolution of 1243, much to Sirius' disgust, and he found himself talking to Peter about…rats. Of all things.

"Hey, c'mon. We should go get ready." Sirius urged the others. "The feast will end soon." The others grinned and slipped out of the Great Hall. As usual, Lily stayed behind, but Peter had convinced Dena to join them.

Once in the Common rooms, they hurried up to their respective dorms and pulled out odd looking costumes. James and Sirius donned white sheets, Peter pulled on a rat mask that had been a gift from his uncle two years before, the twins had chosen to dress as ancient Celtic druids, Dena had a put together a muggle-like witches costume, Davey donned a long brown shirt and painted his face an odd green in imitation of the muggle character of Frankenstein's monster, and Remus, had, at the twins suggestion, dressed as a wolf, although he had been a bit reluctant at this, and now sported two grey "ears", a snout made out of an empty butterbeer bottle, and whiskers. They all grabbed pillowcases and left the tower, ignoring the curious glances of their fellow Gryffindors.

"Who should we start with?" Jay asked.

"How about McGonagall?" Davey suggested. "She'd appreciate this."

"Or give us a detention." Peter whined. "Are you sure about this?"

"Go back if you want, no ones making you come." Sirius rolled his eyes. "Now are we ready?"

"Yeah. Let's go." Chant led the way to the Transfigurations teachers office and, with an encouraging grin at the others, knocked. A second later, the door opened, and a confused McGonagall looked out at them with raised eyebrows.

"Trick or treat!" They chimed in unison. The twins gave her their most winning smiles, and James and Sirius fluttered their sheets, making ghostly noises. The professor's lips twitched slightly.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked, but the usual menace was out of her voice.

"If the muggles do it, why can't we?" Jacey asked her, hiding a smile.

"Very well…though I'm afraid I haven't anything much to give you." She thought for a moment, then came back and dropped a handful of silver sickles and bronze knuts into their bags. "Next year I'll try to be better prepared." Then, with the smallest smile, she shut the door.

Next they tried Flitwick, who gave them each a sugar quill and a licorice wand, Slughorn, who didn't have anything but complimented them on their cleverness, Kettleburn, who hadn't heard of the custom but made the twins tell her all about it, Binns, who seemed rather surprised at being addressed by students but gave then all extra quills, and Smith, the Muggle Studies teacher, who, delighted, gave them all a handful of muggle candy that she happened to keep around and two points each to Gryffindor.

"I wonder how we get to Dumbledor's office?" James questioned aloud.

"I've heard it's hidden." Peter offered.

"Of course it's hidden idiot, that's why we can't find it." Sirius pushed past him and began to search the walls, "like they do in old muggle movies, when they're looking for passages." Aim commented.

"Usually their behind a book self," she offered.

"Or they appear when you step on the right tile," her twin chimed in.

"Or maybe it's like the entrance to Diagon Ally. "

"Can I help you?" They turned around to come face to face with the headmaster, whose eyes twinkled merrily from beneath his half-moon spectacles.

"Oh—uh---professor!" Aim looked to Jay for help.

"We were just…"

"Trick-or-treating?" The headmaster supplied.

"….er….yes.:

"I see. Perhaps I may have something for you. Come on up." He led them to a stature of an odd looking gargoyle. "Gumball," he muttered, and the gargoyle swung forward, revealing a long winding stairway. He turned to smile at the students. "My office is this way." They followed him in silence, glancing at each other with confused expressions.

"Welcome to my office." He opened the door to a magnificent room filled with all sorts of funny noises and odd shaped instruments. They stared around them in amazement.

"Now, let me see…what have I got here…ah yes." The headmaster disappeared for a moment behind a book shelf and returned a second later, dropping a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans into each of their bags. "Happy Halloween!" They thanked him, still looking rather befuddled, and left.

Up in the common rooms, they found that everyone else had gone to bed, tired after the magnificent feast. They bade each other goodnight, and, once in their dorms, pulled of their costumes in exchange for pajamas and fell asleep.


	9. On the first day of Xmasbreak

**Hello, all my loyal fans. Yes, unbelievable, I know…I _am_ still alive. And no, I have no better excuse for not updating. But, never fear, the latest chapter is here!!!**

**(Yes, that rhyme did make me immensely proud of myself. Go me.)**

**To all my brilliant reviewers: I love you all, thank you, you brighten my day, so on and so forth, and once again, I humbly apologize for the delay. **

**Disclaimer: Nothing has changed in my six week absence. I am still not JK Rowling and I still do not own her characters. I am, however, amazing, so you should all go read and review. **

**And of course, thanks to my beta reader JAMadder, the coolest person ever. **

The days passed quickly. November came, and with it the Thanksgiving feast, filled with food and laugher and all that wonderful stuff. And then, December.

"By far the coolest month in the year." James beamed, flopping down in the snow under their tree. "Break's coming up…no homework, snow, Christmas, food, presents…"

"Speak for yourself. Means I gotta go home. Back to…them." Sirius shuddered and grimaced.

"Don't worry, mate. Me mum sent me an owl the other day. Your folks gave you permission to come spend the break with us." Chant folded her hands under her head and lay back, letting the snow fall lazily into her face.

"You're kidding!" Sirius exclaimed, sitting up quickly, slamming his head on a low-hanging branch.

Chant chuckled as he rubbed his head ruefully. "Nope. Dame's coming home, and the whole family will be there." Damian was Chant's older brother, and Sirius' hero. He worked for the ministry in South America, and came home every year for the holidays.

"Your mum is amazing." Sirius was grinning broadly. "This is gonna be the greatest Christmas ever."

Chant shook her head in amusement. "You lot are all invited too. Anyone who wants to come."

"Wish I could." James sighed "But my parents will want me home."

"Same." Remus added. "Thanks anyway."

"We're going to Germany for the holidays." Peter informed them.

"My parents will want me back." Lily smiled. "But thanks for the offer."

The twins looked at each other. "Our dad had to go to Africa on business. Took mom and our brother with him. We're staying at school."

"Same." Dena input hastily. "My er…just thought I'd stay here."

"I'm staying here too. Folks are off visiting relatives in the US." Davey rolled his eyes. "I hate Americans, so I decided to stay."

"Then why not come back with us?" Chant offered. "My dad's an amazing cook."

"It's true." Sirius backed her up. "The best."

The twins looked at each other hesitantly.

"It's no trouble, really. We have about thirty extra bedrooms." Chant said this with some disgust. "Dunno why one family needs such a big house anyhow."

"Go on." Sirius encouraged them. "It'll be fun. Their place is _huge_! And there are so many people…I swear, I still get her cousins mixed up, and I've known them since I could walk."

"We wouldn't want to impose…" Aim began.

"Don't worry, you won't."

"We'll ask our folks, then."

"What about you two?" Chant turned to Davey and Dena.

"If your folks don't mind, mine won't have any objections." Davey shrugged. "Sounds fun."

"I'd better not. I'll just stay here and study." Dena smiled shyly. "But thank you."

Chant shrugged. "If you're sure."

Plans made, they sat back to enjoy the snow.

They met the first day of winter break with some sorrow at the prospect of not seeing each other for an entire month, but excited for the break. They had finalized their plans—Sirius, Davey, and the twins would spend the entire break with the Chants, and James, Remus, and Lily were going to come down for the last week or so. They had tried to convince Dena to join them, but as usual, she had politely refused, and Peter would be in Germany the entire time.

The nine of them boarded the Hogwarts Express after saying goodbye to Dena, and made their way to the back, where they made the sad discovery that the train compartments were not meant to hold nine people. Not comfortably, anyway. However, the friends were unaccustomed to giving up, so after some rearranging, they all managed to fit.

"Hey, Evans, you could just save room and sit on my lap!" James suggested with a grin, earning himself a glare from the red-head.

"Nice try, mate." Sirius jeered mockingly.

The trip passed quickly, the friends enjoying each other's company. When the train pulled into Platform 9 ¾ that evening, they were in the middle of a rousing game of "I Spy"…very entertaining with nine people and a fast-moving train. Reluctantly, they grabbed their trunks and disembarked.

James was the first one to see his parents. Mr. Potter was tall and thin, with straight black hair and serious black eyes under his glasses. Mrs. Potter was shorter, with long brown hair and bright blue eyes that contrasted greatly to her husbands. James lit up when he saw them, running to them happily, ignoring the reputation he had tried so hard to built over the past few months. He pulled them over to the others. "Mum, dad, these are my new friends." He introduced them. Mr. Potter shook hands with each of them in turn, and Mrs. Potter smiled amiably.

"Very pleased to meet you all." She greeted.

"Any friend of Jim's is a friend of ours." His father agreed.

"Jim?" Aim and Jay questioned in unison, grinning evilly at James, who turned a faint shade of red and avoided their eyes.

His parents seemed oblivious to the exchange. "Come, now, Jimmy." His mother ran a loving hand through her son's hair. "You'll see your friends in a few weeks. Jack's waiting for us in the car."

"Jack?" Sirius this time.

"My brother. He's only seven ."James supplied, lifting his trunk. "I'll see you guys soon." He turned to follow his parents.

"Bye Jimmy!" The twins chimed in wickedly. He ignored them.

Peter saw his parents next. They hurried up to him and hugged him, doing all of the things parents do when they want to embarrass their children. He returned their greetings, looking very happy to see them. They, too, were introduced, but they soon led Peter off to go get ready for their trip. As soon as he left, Lily's parents came running up to her with a surly looking girl in tow. She looked to be about seventeen, and eyed them all as one might a cockroach or a phone bill.

"My sister Petunia…" Lily muttered under her breath, sounding less then thrilled to see her.

"Lily, dear!" Her parents beamed at her proudly. "look at you! Are these your new friends?"

"Yes. Mum, dad, this is Jacey Chant." Jacey shook their hands. "I'll be staying at her place for the last week?"

"Oh, yes, of course, very pleased to meet you!" They smiled at Jacey.

"And these are the Madder twins, Jay and Aim."

"What unusal names!" Lily's father commented. Petunia glared at them with contempt.

"Not as weird as some…" Aim muttered, apparently commenting on their given names, but the subtle glance at Petunia suggested differently. Lily hid a smile.

"Remus Lupin."

"Pleasure."

"Davey Gudgeon."

"Ah, yes, with the parents who are doctors!"

"Only one. The other's a healer."

"Oh…I see/" Mrs. Evans smiled, obviously lying.

"And Sirius Black."

"Lily's told us so much about you all! Oh, we're so _proud_ of you, honey!" Lily's mom hugged her again. "Come, now, Vernon's coming over for dinner. We'll want to hear all about your year so far."

Lily said one last goodbye then followed her parents to the parking lot.

"Oh God…." Sirius groaned. "Hide me!" They turned, and saw his cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa standing with a group of Slytherin's and what had to be the rest of the Black family. Jacey made a face.

"Those your folks?" Remus asked. Sirius looked disgusted as he nodded.

"They look like a pleasant lot."

" Can't see why Sirius turned out so bad." He glared at the twins, who looked back at him with serious faces.

"Remus?" The boy turned around.

"Mum!" He sounded pleased. "Dad." His reunion with his parents was pleasant, but it seemed much more mature than that of the others. He made his introductions quickly and was off, saying he'd see them in a few weeks.

Chant sighed, and sat down on her luggage. "My folks are notoriously late." She rolled her eyes. "They may be awhile."

"Jace!" She turned around to be greeted by her cousins, Logan in third year and Chase in fifth year. "Seen them yet?"

"Nope. If your dad was driving, they'd have been here by now. Must be my mum or Ricky. They hate driving. Scared of the muggles." She made a face. "Where are Becca and Neil?"

"They're coming. Becca's bringing her new boyfriend home for the holidays—"

"Who? I thought she was still dating that Hufflepuff bloke…Rodger, wasn't it?"

"No, they broke up. Ravenclaw this time. Eddie Something or other."

"And Neil's bringing some friends home…should be a full house" Chase added.

"Sounds fun…"

"Hey! Is that them?" Logan waved to a group in the distance. They caught sight and waved back. Jacey saw that Becca and Neil were already with them, along with their friends. The group picked up their luggage and began to drag it through King's Cross. Chase and Logan followed.

"Hey mum!" She hugged her briefly, then turned to her father. "Dad!" They headed to the car, introducing each other on the way. It was quite a large crowd—both of Jacey's parents had come, as well as Logan and Chases dad, their mom had stayed home with the younger kids. Jacey's nineteen year old brother Ricky was there as well. They came to the car; a small American car. Sirius eyed it warily.

"Magic is a wonderful thing." Ricky commented, seeing his uncertain gaze. Sirius grinned at him and climbed in.

"Bloody---how did you do that?"

The twins followed him. "Whoa…" Jay stared. "Its—huge."

"It's magic…." Aim shook her head in disbelief. "Weird."

A short car ride later, they arrived at the Chant's house. Davey and the twins, never having seen it before, were awestruck. "It's…very…er. Big." Davey commented.

"It does hold five families." Neil reminded them. "Sometimes, that is." Pause." Actually, I can't remember the last time we've all been together…"

"Just means we have plenty of guest rooms. C'mon." Jacey led the way into the house, the four others following behind her.

"I think I could learn to enjoy this…"Aim admitted, grinning at her twin.

**More soon. I'm gonna try to put one up tomorrow---it'll cover the rest of break and then the end of the year exams and the beginning of summer. Just trying to make up for all the lack of updating P**


	10. Rising Storm

_Hey guys. Sorry it took so long, and sorry its so short. I know I kinda breeze through second year, but there wasn't much to say, and I really just wanted to get them out of their earlier years. Again, thanks to my amazing reviewers, you are the greatest, I love you all, ect. _

_I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING THAT BELONGS TO ROWLING. THAT'S WHY IT BELONGS TO ROWLING. I DO, HOWEVER, OWN EVERYTHING THAT BELONGS TO ME. _

The first week of their vacation were filled with snowball fights, freezing cold, violent quidditch games resulting in two broken noses, a sprained wrist, and a broken windshield on some poor muggle's car, large, brilliant dinners, and the occasional homework. This carefree mood was temporarily crushed one night when Jacey's mom came home from a long day working in the ministry. They all sat down at the table for dinner, glancing curiously at Mrs. Chant, who said nothing. Finally Neil could wait no longer. "What's wrong, mum? You look as though someone died. "

She gave her nephew a withering look. "How did you know?"

"What?" All eyes turned to her. "What happened?!"

"Another attack on muggles. They say its that bloke Riddle again."

Everyone began talking at once. Such attacks were rare, but they were always disturbing---and they had become more and more common.

"The ministry'll catch him though, wont they?" Davey asked.

"So far, we've had no luck."

"If Dumbledoere were minister---" Jacey began.

"Things would be different if Dumbledore were minister, but he's not." Something in her tone of voice ended the discussion, and the dinner was finished in silence.

The normal fun winter break activities resumed shortly after, but unpleasant reminders of the event seemed to come up everywhere. _The Prophet,_ seizing the chance at actual news, hounded the ministry for information and seemed to find new articles every day. It was the talk among the wizarding community, and the muggle community as well, as the police still had no idea who had commented the murder or how it had been done.

Finally, the last week of break arrived, and the others joined them. Lily came about the same time as Remus, James coming shortly after. Of course, the first topic to come up was the murder. After about a day, however, they grew bored of the topic, and turned their attention to the next order of business---the homework that they had put off.

The end of break came much to early for them, but they soon found themselves on the train. Once they got to Hogwarts, however, they all admitted that it felt good to be back, and after a long feast, made their way up to the dorms once more.

The rest of the year passed quickly. The end of the year exams were suddenly looming upon them, and then, suddenly, were gone. Summer break was just days away, and plans were being made. They found themselves back on the Hogwarts express, to await a long summer.

They saw eachother fairly regularly that summer, but each time, they had something different to discuss---the latest killings. They were becoming commonplace, with one every few weeks. The muggles had really started to worry, and the ministry was panicking. James, Jacey, and the twins began to hear talk of an underground movement named the Order of the Pheonix---low whispers behind closed doors, of an army of recruits led by Dumbledore. They eagerly shared this with the rest of the Gryffindor 10, but they all knew better than to bring it up in front of any of the adults, who went around tense and wary.

Second term came and went much to quickly for the group. It was an entirely unremarkable year, aside from the increasing turmoil in the outside world. Dumbledore and the rest of the staff had assured them that there was nothing to worry about, but they, too, were seen whispering in the stairwells and the group had seen them hurrying off somewhere in the dead of night on their escapades.

"Meetings." Sirius hissed. "They're all meeting…I bet this is the headquarters! For the Order!" They all realized that this must be the reason, and soon, they had made up their mind to find out whatever they could. Dena and Lily didn't seem as keen on this as the others, and in time, they began to grow apart from the group a bit, Dena for her incapitating shyness and Lily for her insufferable adherence to the rules.

By the end of second year however, they had still found nothing of use, and the summer break was started off on a bleak note---the Minister of Magic had just been impeached. The wizarding world was now officially in a state of unrest.


	11. The Order Confirmed

**Hello all. Yes, I updated. Isn't that amazing? Anyhow, I know this chapter isn't long, but I just wanted to put something up to show you I'm alive. I really will try to update more often.**

**  
Disclaimer: Do I really need to go over this again? I do not own Hogwarts, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily, Dave, Snape, McGonagall, ect. I do own Dena, Jacey, and the twins. Especially Aim. I definitely own her. **

**As always, thanks a ton to all my reviewers, especially my Beta JAMadder and my new Gamma reader, szmoon. To all my reviewers, I apologize once more for my two month hiatus, please do not forsake me! I'm just as cool as I was in 2006! . Cheers.**

**PS Sorry about the title…**

MUGGLE MINISTER MURDERED IN FLAT

Lord Voldemort Held Responsible.

The muggle killings that have shocked the world the past year seem to have climaxed last night when Prime Minister Edward Carten was found dead in his flat. There were no signs of a struggle, and neither muggle police nor ministry officials could identify a cause of death, leading the newly elected Cornelius Fudge to believe that the Killing Curse was used. Lord Voldemort is held responsible for this atrocity but is still yet to be located.

James's voice faltered. He glanced up from the Prophet and looked around the compartment at his worried companions.

"This guy means business…" Sirius's voice took on an uncharacteristic tenseness. Remus chewed on his lip, Peter gazed at the others in terror, and Jacey looked thoughtful. The twins exchanged glances. Lily, Dena, and Davey all looked on edge. They had spent much of the summer looking over their shoulders and tucking their wands under their pillows before bed, just in case. The compartment was silent for a long moment, each left to their own thoughts. Finally, Lily asked in a quiet, timid voice, "What's going to happen to us?" No one had the answer.

"He'll murder us in our sleep." Peter groaned. Dena's face went white, and Davey looked away hurriedly.

"What have you got to be worried about?" Seeing Lily's fear, James snapped back at Peter.

"Everyone knows he'll move to squibs next. And then….others. Half-breeds, like werewolves and vampires, half-bloods, blood traitors…"

Remus carefully avoided their eyes at the mention of half-breeds, and James at the mention of blood traitors. Jacey and the twins, on the other hand, seemed alert.

"Should we tell them?" Jay whispered. Jacey nodded.

Clearing her throat, she met their frightened gazes one by one. "The Order of the Phoenix is real. Our parents," she indicated to the twins and herself, "finally decided to admit it. Well…sort of." She looked rather sheepish. "They caught me eavesdropping, so they kinda had to explain. They didn't tell me much. All I know is that they've gone looking for this Voldemort, and they're starting to recruit people. Not too many folks are keen to join, of course. Right now, there aren't more then ten people. My mum, my dad, my uncle, the Madders, McGongall, and a few others. I don't know their names."

"I think my parents were asked to join." James put in. "A man came to our house, a few weeks ago. They talked for a long time, when they thought I was asleep."

"One came to my house too." Remus put in. "I remember him telling my dad he owes Dumbledore. For…" he stopped short. "For something. I dunno what it is."

No one spoke for a long moment. Then Aim, who had been unusually silent, spoke up.

"The Order will need recruits. I know we're too young now. But someday…" She paused, then looked up. "This isn't just gonna go away. We're gonna have to choose sides someday. Voldemort's recruiting, and so's the Order. And Fudge is starting to get desperate. And then there are the people who act like nothings happening, or are too afraid to do anything about it. Someday, we're gonna have to choose sides to."

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Aim. There was something in the way she spoke, something…different. In that moment, something changed. Suddenly, the friends knew they could no longer ignore the new threat. They had lost some of the bubble that protected them from the outside world. This was real. This was part of their lives now. They would not be thirteen forever. And the day was drawing closer when they would have to choose.

They could have no idea how this choice would come to affect them in the years to follow.

As the train raced on, the subject began to change to less depressing topics. They talked about their summers, uneventful but for the headline news, about Quidditch, about classes. The compartment was quite crowded, not meant to fit ten people, with James and Aim occupying the seats nearest the window on either side, Sirius stretched out on the floor, and Lily as far away from James as possible. James kept trying to catch Davey's eye to get him to switch seats to be next to Lily, but the latter seemed oblivious.

They neared the castle, and Davey got up to change. James pounced at the empty seat, and Lily quickly stood up. "I'll just go change…" she jumped up and followed Davey. James slumped back into the seat in defeat.

Finally they arrived at Hogwarts. They piled into the horseless carriages and reached the building. McGonagall opened the door for then and they filed into the Great Hall, taking their seats at the appropriate tables, greeting friends and glaring down enemies. Namely Snape, and a few other annoying Slytherins. The Sorting hat's song began.

_Welcome students to another year_

_At Hogwarts, which we hold so dear/_

_Today I sort you, youngest ones,_

_Your new life has just begun._

_For put me on and I'll decide,_

_In which house will you abide?_

_Gryffindor may call to you,_

_To those heroes, brave and true._

_Ravenclaw's for those of wit, _

_From learning they will benefit._

_Hufflepuff is known for patience and charm,_

_A loyal Hufflepuff will surely never come to harm._

_And lastly Slytherin, where blood runs pure,_

_Those of cunning will be allured. _

_You'll make friends and learn new things,_

_And who can tell what these years will bring?_

_In times of trouble remember my song,_

_Be just and true, and you can't go wrong._

_And to these Houses you'll be escorted, _

_So one by one, come forth and be sorted!_

And with that, the sorting began, and another year began.


	12. authors note, again

Authors Note:

This story is being discontinued, because it's lame and boring and not going anywhere. However, never fear! I am starting a new Marauders fanfic, same characters and whatnot, just…better. I have the first chapter posted. It is called "These Beautiful Memories" and this one will actually have Snape! (Forgot to include him in the last one…) so…go check out TBM if you liked TDDUP, cause TBM is loads better. Thanks!

Love MM


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